Khodorkovsky warns Baltics over Russia threat

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Former Russian tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky has warned that Russia poses a serious threat to its neighbors, including the three ex-Soviet republics that form the Baltic states.

The founder and former owner of the Yukos oil giant says Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia or the Balkans “could be the next targets of Russian President Vladimir Putin if he does not meet proper resistance in Ukraine.”

Khodorkovsky, who spent 10 years in Russian prison before being released and moving to Switzerland last year, was speaking to reporters on a stopover in the Lithuanian capital Wednesday after visiting Ukraine.

He accused Putin of invading Crimea, saying “they took Crimea fairly easily and now cannot retreat.” He also said Putin was trying to “reconstruct” the Soviet Union and accused him of spreading false propaganda.

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